LIFT airline’s acceptance of Apple Pay, Google Pay, and crypto payments marks a first for South African aviation.
The Cape Town-based airline announced on 24 June 2026 that it had become the first carrier in the country to offer both Apple Pay and Google Pay directly on its website across mobile and desktop, while also introducing crypto payments through Ozow.
The move gives LIFT one of the most comprehensive direct airline payment stacks in South Africa. Customers can now book flights using debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, cryptocurrency via Ozow, payment plans through RCS and PayU, Mobicred financing, or 1Voucher.
Why LIFT Made the Move
The decision was data-driven. Cilliers Jordaan, Chief Commercial Officer at LIFT, pointed to shifting consumer behaviour as the driving force.
“Our research showed that South Africans are quickly adapting to various payment methods for their purchases, favouring speed and security when making payments, while embracing digital wallets,” he said. “The strong adoption of our LIFT Wallet demonstrated early on that our customers value convenience, flexibility and control when booking their travel. Expanding our payment ecosystem was a natural next step for us.” The data supports that instinct.
According to the Visa and Discovery Bank SpendTrend25 South African Consumer Survey, 45% of surveyed South Africans now use virtual cards. Furthermore, South Africa’s Financial Stability Report recorded nearly 7.8 million crypto users in the country by July 2025.
Where LIFT Stands Apart From the Competition
It is worth noting that rival airline FlySafair introduced Apple Pay and Google Pay on its mobile app in March 2026. However, that rollout was app-only, with a website extension planned for a later date. LIFT’s implementation covers both mobile and desktop directly on its website, giving it the first-mover claim on that specific combination. On the crypto side, LIFT stands alone among South African airlines.
The integration through Ozow makes it the first carrier in the country to accept cryptocurrency as a direct payment method for flight bookings. Jordaan captured the broader intent clearly. “Whether our travellers prefer cards, digital wallets, cryptocurrency or other payment solutions, we are committed to giving them the flexibility to choose how they want to pay for their flights,” he said.
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Editorial Takeaway
LIFT’s payment expansion is a small but meaningful signal. Crypto acceptance at the airline checkout is no longer a novelty reserved for fintech startups or crypto-native platforms. It is arriving in everyday commerce, flights, retail, and services.
South Africa has nearly 7.8 million crypto users. When airlines start building for that audience directly, it confirms what the adoption numbers have been saying for years. Crypto is not a parallel economy. It is becoming part of the same one.
